Brief: Design an experience that explores planetary soil dependence.
Team: Ana Garcia, Tatiana Bohsali, Binru Liu.
Soil fosters life on earth, and it gives us food, living space. However, the human is hurting soil and overuse the resource from soil. Many people do not know why soil is important to us and the real value of soil. In this project, our group planned to design an experience to make people know the importance and value of soil.
Research Methods
We used the “AEIOU” and “Speed Dating” to do our project. Designers can collect information through AEIOU method, which is an observation method. Speed Dating can help designers show their initial ideas and test the ideas with targeted people. Storyboard and building a simulated environment is necessary for Speed Dating. In my opinion, everything is related to each other in an environment, and the designer should find the relationship between them carefully.
In the beginning, we thought about the psychological connection between human and soil. We hope people know the importance of soil when they have psychological resonance with soil.
AEIOU
Location: St James Park, Tatiana’s house
ACTIVITIES
St James Park:
Walking, Running, Feeding the animals, Sitting, Breathing fresh air, Drinking coffee, Picnic, Throwing rubbish, Ducks swim in the lake.
Tatiana’s house:
Watering the plants, Replacing the new soil for plants, Controlling the temperature in the house.
ENVIRONMENT
St James Park:
Manmade park, Outdoor, Cold weather, Cloudy and raining day, Many kinds of an ecosystem.
Tatiana’s house:
Indoor, Warm, Dry, Living room, Flowerpot(artefact).
INTERACTIONS
St James Park:
People hold the nuts by hand; People sit on the bench; People throw rubbish on the soil; Children play with mud; People pick up the dog shit; The leaves fell; Bird stands on the tree.
Tatiana’s house:
Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and moisture from soil; Plants produce oxygen to humans; Tatiana decorates her house with plants; Tatiana uses watering can to water the plants.
OBJECTS
St James Park:
Tree, Lake, Animals, Path, Bench, Paper, Rubbish, Mud, Soil.
Tatiana’s house:
Flowerpot, Plants, Water, Air, Light, Soil.
USERS
St James Park:
People: Visitors, Family (Parents and Children), Couple, Worker
Animals: Birds, Duck, Squirrel, Dog
Plants: Tree, Bush, Grass, Fallen leaves.
Tatiana’s house:
Tatiana, Some plants.
After analysing the result of AEIOU, we tried to make a relation map which showed the relationship between user and soil. The relation map might help us to find out the nature of the human-soil relationship.
According to the relation map, we tried to find out the potential opportunities of establishing a psychological connection between human and soil, which can help people know the importance of soil through the change of emotion. Furthermore, we sketched our first storyboard.
Our initial concept is creating a natural environment in a manmade environment. We showed a user’s psychological changes when he is in a different environment. He feels depressive indoor although there are plants, windows and beautiful views in the room. The user feels relaxed in the natural environment because he can stand on the soil and feel a natural atmosphere. Nature changes his emotion.
However, after getting feedback from our tutors and classmates, we thought that we need to find out the more profound soil value, just change of emotion was not enough. The “deeper” is not only means that more meaningful but also has physical significance, like the underground world.
Redesign
We went to a cemetery and used the AEIOU method in there. We explored the underground world and found out some function of soil. Soil could be a storge room which keeps treasures, rubbish, ancient ruins and the missing for deceased families.
Also, we found out the artistic value of soil. Many artists create soil arts.
Crazy Eight helped us produce some important ideas. After that, we selected and developed some interesting ideas, which came from the result of Crazy Eight.
Speed Dating
For speed dating, we produced three new ideas and sketched the storyboards with different scenarios.
Scenario 1
Make up with soil.
People can make up with soil materials. Also, they can use soil materials and stones to create jewels.
Scenario 2
“Dinner” with soil.
There is a picture of dinner. People should make the same picture with soil materials.
Scenario 3
Soil arts.
People can use soil to make some artworks. For example, people can write a to-do list with soil and draw a picture with soil materials. They also can make sand paintings.
After sketching all the storyboards, we interviewed different people to get advice. The most interviewees liked the scenario of soil arts. They gave us many useful feedbacks.
“I feel that I am getting to nature. It is a unique experience.”
— Interviewee A
“Soil is a source which supports life. Soil arts is a better way to show a state of life.”
— Interviewee B
“I can feel the physical property of soil, such as texture, touch sense. I will think about the different use of soil. Soil can be an art come into our life.”
— Interviewee C
Outcome
We did a presentation and created a workshop about soil arts. We provided different materials which are made by soil. There were clay, black soil, mud, sand and power of chalk. Everyone need made a present with these materials to another one by hand.
Besides, there was no limitation to the present. People are free to use their imagination and do what they wanted.
Project feedback & Reflection
We got some valuable feedback from our tutors and classmates. Tutors said that our idea is not only a prototype but also a situation. They thought that we built an immersive experience about soil. Humans interacted with soil closely. After doing the project, we all thought that we showed the importance of soil successfully. A classmate felt that soil was dirty, but she felt that soil was beautiful and useful after this activity. In the future, people should also enhance their awareness of the importance of soil.
Reference
Hillel, D. (2005) Encyclopedia of soils in the environment. 1. ed. edn. Amsterdam [u.a.]: Elsevier [u.a.].
Montag, D. (2014) ‘Soil: a cultural perspective’, AHRC Soil Cultures Research network, 28 Jul. Available at: https://www.sciculture.ac.uk/2014/07/28/soil-a-cultural-perspective (Accessed 29 December 2020).
Needelman, B. (2013) What Are Soils. Available at: https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/what-are-soils-67647639 (Accessed 29 December 2020).
Soils and Products We Use (2015) Available at: https://www.soils.org/files/sssa/iys/october-soils-overview.pdf (Accessed: 29 December 2020).
